We teach learnersA learner is an individual who is willing to learn and understand new things. Learning is a process of understanding and acquiring knowledge of new... using designDesign shapes ideas to become practical solutions and propositions for customers and users. Design is all around us, everything man made has been designed. The... approaches that explore the contexts of:
In artArt refers to a diverse range of human intellectual and expressive activities and the outcomes of those activities. Within this context art is further defined... and design education, design can be defined as the intentional and purposeful processA series of actions, changes or operations performed in the making or creating of a product or outcomes. The procedures that one goes through in... of developing and creating solutions to meet specific needs or problems.
It involves the application of creativeBeing creative or 'creativity' relates to or involves the use of the imagination or original ideas to create something. and critical thinkingThe ability to reason, ask questions, debate and challenge what is presented to you., visual and aesthetic solutions, along with technical skillsTechniques and attributes acquired through learning, engagement and practice and knowledgeFacts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject., to generate innovative and functionalThe use or uses to which a product, artefact, service or system can be put. outcomes.
Design encompasses various disciplines such as:
Product Design as a term refers to a wide range of products embracing the world of fashion and textilesPractical or decorative items made out of cloth, furniture, and household products but it can also include products for industry and all forms of engineering.
A designer can therefore design a stamp, a coin, a digital game, advertising materialsThe resources that artists, craftspeople and designers use to create work, to include thread, plastic, stone, wood, clay, paint and paper, a woven rug, a lamp, a book cover or a music sleeve, but the term design also applies to those areas normally associated with Design and Technology (D&T), such as engineering, furniture and mechanical product design.
When planning curricula, we sometimes neglect 'Design'. We should ask if it is appropriate to have an imbalance.
It is important to take cognisance of the potential of learners as designersPeople who are engaged in the production of functional products, services and systems, to develop their design capability and enable them to contribute in terms of design to society and the economy if they so wish. With careful planning and teaching design tasks can mirror projects and practice in design-related careers.
Design can be two-dimensional, virtual, three-dimensional, multi-dimensional and multi-sensory.
As art educators, we must be conscious that our students and learners might move into the creative mediaDifferent materials used by artists, such as paint, charcoal, clay and thread. Media is the plural of MEDIUM. In this context, it refers to the... and design industries as a designer, in any one of a myriad of areas of design practice including some areas that do not yet exist. Design industries are evolving very quickly.
It is helpful to remember that design as a specialist practice, historically emerged out of traditional fine arts and crafts practices, skills and techniquesA procedure, formula or routine by which an outcome or artwork is achieved, to include weaving thread into cloth with a darning needle, carving wood....
These have evolved and been refined over the last two centuries. Like craftCraft can be designed as intelligent making. It is technically, materially and culturally informed. Craft is the designing and hand making of individual objects and..., design is not limited to aestheticsA term used to explore and explain the look and sensual appeal of a work of art, craft or design. The term embraces aspects of... alone but also considers usabilityUsability can be described as the capacity of a system to provide a condition for its users to perform the tasks safely, effectively, and efficiently..., functionality, and human-centred designHuman-centred design is a problem-solving technique that puts real people at the center of the development process, enabling you to create products and services that resonate..., including ergonomicsHuman factors and ergonomics is the application of psychological and physiological principles to the engineering and design of products, processes, and systems. Ergonomics can roughly... and anthropometricsAnthropometry is the science that defines physical measures of a person's size, form, and functional capacities. Anthropometry refers to the measurement of the human individual. An....
Design therefore involves careful consideration of all the artistic elements e.g. shapeShapes are two-dimensional. Positive shapes represent solid objects and negative shapes show the surrounding space. Geometric shapes are perfect and regular. Organic shapes are irregular..., formForm refers to three dimensional objects. While shapes have two dimensions (height and width), forms have three dimensions (height, width and depth). The overall unity..., surface and colours, as well as compositionThe combination of a selection of distinct elements to work towards creating a whole image or form. The arrangement of shapes, colours, textures, marks and..., communication, and message (rather than meaning), but also materials, spatial relationships, human interface issues and environmental, sustainability, moral and ethical design solutions.
Applications include:
Applied and real-world products which communicate/function using digital, virtual and diverse physical media may include:
The above materials and processes can be used to explore how to:
We should endeavour to carry out process steps through:
References
For an analysis of Designerly thinking see Gary Granville, Emma Creighton and Fiona Byrne In Ash & Carr (edited) CreativityCreativity is a characteristic of someone or some process that forms something new and valuable. The created item may be intangible or a physical object...., Designerly Thinking and the Wicked Problems of Life - Practical Guide to Teaching Art and Design in the Secondary School. Routledge (2023)
